CHAPTER X RUSSIA ONE day in the month of November, 1863, I agreed to make an exchange for six months with Mr. Locock, the second secre¬tary of Embassy at St. Petersburg—it would be an anachronismto speak of " Petrograd "—and by the end of the month I was off. November 30th.—St. Petersburg at last! To anyone wholoves beautiful scenery there could hardly be a duUer, gloomierjourney than that across the eternal stretches of moor and marsh,broken up by forests of sad-looking, stunted birch and fir trees.No human habitation to be seen, no mankind, save at the railwaystations a few peasants, their limbs swathed in bandages of sack¬cloth, with bags of the same all over; dirty, unkempt, poverty-stricken, and hungry as their feUow-subjects the wolves. Soldierseverywhere, for the Polish insurrection was at its height, and evenour train had a mUitary guard. Most of my feUow passengerscarried revolvers, picturesque but unprofitable furniture, giving aslight flavour of adventurousness to the journey, though there wasreally no cause for alarm, no reason to expect the least little excite¬ment in the way of danger. There were too many soldiers about forthat. Thirteen trains fuU of them passed into Lithuania the daybefore I was there, adding to our impatience by delaying us for anhour and a half when we were longing with our whole souls toreach our goal. And yet, socially, it was a pleasant joumey enough. I traveUedwith WUliam Harbord, Lord Suffield's brother, whose first appear¬ance it was as a Queen's Messenger. On board the Calais boat 204